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Wednesday, September 6, 2017

With Hurricane Irma barreling down my path (and Harvey fresh in our minds), I declared to
co-workers yesterday (including my boss who said I would have to work remotely)
that I am done with Florida, and in five years, when my youngest graduates high
school, I am outta here!

But, as my boss reminded me, every area has its natural
disaster risk. At least with hurricanes, we get notice and time to make preparations.
True. Irma, one of, if not the strongest hurricane to grace the Atlantic basin
(we’re hearing the term Category 6 thrown around), is on a course toward south Florida –
well, we think. The dreaded cone of uncertainty is something residents in hurricane prone
regions are familiar with, but never get used to. The days before a storm
hits is one of the most intense, heightened anxiety producing events imaginable
– the not knowing for sure, the possibility, the “do we or do we not” put up
shutters, evacuate, etc – can drive people insane. Fear is a terrible
motivator. Yesterday, I waited in line for gas like many others and then headed
to Target for supplies – I didn’t even need them, just felt I should be doing
something.

Yesterday, a colleague came into my office and made the
observation that everyone is “on edge.” Some, like myself, have lived in
Florida for decades. You would think this makes us immune to the panic that
sets in the days leading up to the arrival of a storm. But, in actuality, it
makes it much worse. Especially those who lived
through the seasons of 2004-05 when we were hit with multiple storms and faced
wide-spread power outages and property damage.

Last year, as we prepared for Hurricane Matthew (the first
Category 5 Atlantic hurricane since 2007), which was headed right for my coast,
I recall friends and neighbors just looking at each other, but afraid to
express the fear in their hearts. Has the many years of being spared finally
come to an end? People took this storm seriously, as it had been over ten years
since our area received a direct impact from a hurricane. Was our time up?

And then it happened. The WOBBLE. I remember getting a text
message just hours before Matthew was supposed to make landfall. The storm
shifted east and, once again, my area would be spared. You see, no one ever can
predict Mother Nature. It is as if she is playing with us, testing us.

In 1992, I was a young college graduate living alone in an
Orlando apartment. Hurricane Andrew, a monster Category 5 hurricane was coming
right to the center of the state. I taped my windows (we now know NOT to do
that), bought new batteries for my flashlight, and hunkered down. I went to
bed, praying it wouldn’t be as bad as they had predicted.

I woke up the next morning, surprised I had slept so
soundly, and looked out my window. I recall seeing blue sky and wondered, “Did
we even get rain?” I thanked God, the
storm must have dissipated (I was a hurricane newbie). I turned on the morning
news and that’s when it hit me like a ton of bricks. Homestead (near Miami) had
been devastated, practically wiped off the map. What the hell??

During the night while thousands slept, and without much, if any, notice, Andrew
made a sharp turn and hit an area not expecting or prepared for such a massive
storm. Few, who lived here during that time, will ever forget those images.

And, so, you see, these last minute curve balls by Mother
Nature, is what always gets me all riled up anytime meteorologists take out
their damn cone of uncertainty and spaghetti models. There are many times I want to tell the weather
channel to take their cone and shove it where the sun don’t shine, but then I breathe and do what any rational person in this situation can do –
prepare for worst, pray for the best.

Nikki is a freelance writer and editor who focuses on issues facing parents and women. She is also a film and book critic and active blogger. Her professional background spans several fields including non-profit work, law, event management/public relations, and elementary education. She holds a B.A. in English Literature. She resides in South Florida with her loved ones. Read Nikki's blog at http://www.lavenderinspiration.com/.